Sabbath of Thanksgiving

This Sunday we begin our Christian new year with the advent of Advent. We are entering a season of waiting and watching, preparing our hearts to receive God's presence.

This week, the United States takes time out to celebrate Thanksgiving. Whatever our sordid history or troubled present, at our best, we are a people who give thanks and share our blessings. Yet how well do we really embody a spirit of thanksgiving this season? I myself am making my lists, spending time shopping and cleaning and cooking, preparing for guests (my parents are coming to town, and you'll get to meet them on Sunday!), and trying to get ahead on some work. I am determined to spend some time relaxing and enjoying my family, but I know it will be a challenge - how quickly things come up and stress takes over!


Every year the same drama plays out in our culture, from the frenzy of preparations, to the tired cleaning up and dealing with leftovers. And then comes Friday - "Black" Friday as it's often called - the day when everyone rushes to buy things they probably don't need, all because it seems to be a good deal. So we go from frantically preparing for a time of Thanksgiving, to a brief and sometimes stressful or lonely (depending on family dynamics) Thanksgiving day, right back to a focus on consuming - getting more, for a better deal, than we really needed in the first place.

And somewhere in there, we have lost the concept of Sabbath, a time to worship and be renewed, to just be and take in the blessings that surround us. In her article Black Friday and the Importance of Sabbath Rest, Danielle Tumminio writes, "Even though Black Friday is not on a Saturday or Sunday, it follows a period of heightened work and stress; it's a natural time for rest, and yet, it's a time in which rest is not encouraged. One at a time, we can change this culture. As God's children, it is our responsibility to find that rest for ourselves because without it, regardless of religious affiliation, we will psychologically dry up like turkey left too long in the oven."



So perhaps this year we can start Advent a bit early - every year we enter into the same drama, hearing the story of Christ's impending birth, allowing our hearts to sit with the anticipation and hope of a world transformed. And if, for you, this season is one of loneliness and heartache, you may know better than the rest of us what it means to long for a new world, where every tear will be dry and you will know the deep peace of God's presence. 


Wherever you find your hearts this season, will you accept the challenge and honor the Sabbath this week? As you sit around your tables and celebrate the Eucharist (Greek for Thanksgiving), let the moments linger and savor the gift of Sabbath. And I will do the same.

I wish you all Thanksgiving blessings, and I look forward to beginning the new year with you on Sunday.

In peace,
Manda

Texts for Sunday:

Psalm 98

Matthew 1:18-25

"The Little Holidays - Big Surprises"

I like the little holidays the best. You know, my birthday or Arbor Day. Last week, it was National Deviled Eggs Day. That was fun. These are days that aren't burdened by commercialism or the weight of generations of tradition. I love the big holidays, too. Especially Christmas and Easter or even Pentecost. But, there are the 'little' holidays in the life of the church that are truly wonderful, like Transfiguration Sunday. These holidays (holy days) remind us of important experiences in the life of Christ or in the history of our faith and because they aren't burdened by lots of traditions, they have the capacity to surprise us.

On Sunday, we will be celebrating two of the Church's lesser celebrated holidays: Reformation Sunday  and All Saints Day. We will do those things that ground us to these days: honor the saints who have died over the past year and singing "For all the Saints". We will also celebrate  in a special and surprising way. Vikar Markus Krieger will be our guest. He will preach and will offer an AfterWord forum. Markus is a pastor in the EKHN (Evangelical Protestant Church in Germany) and is spending an 'intern' year here in the NY Conference. So, we will be celebrating our German protestant roots with a German partner in ministry! And, this time of celebrating will be blessed with communion.

I'm looking forward to this big celebration of little holidays that are truly important in our common life. I expect to be a bit surprised and hope you will all come expecting something new.

Hoping to see you on Sunday - Laura Lee

Food for the World (for Sunday 10/2/11)

One of the top stories on Ithaca Journal today is about a large portion of the population’s growing reliance on food banks for their daily bread. Click here to read this article. Hunger is a continued, pressing need throughout the world, and it can often seem overwhelming.

Every Sunday we pray together, “give us this day our daily bread,” and for many around the world, that prayer is an urgent one, a plea for food for today. This Sunday, we’ll celebrate World Communion Sunday, when the sharing of a simple meal reminds us of our common need for daily bread. The practice of Communion also challenges us, for there is more than enough room and more than enough food for all – at God’s communion table, and in our daily lives.

A shared meal has the power to bring us together and to participate in God’s work of feeding the world – physically and spiritually. So come, this week, to be nourished, and to be challenged. Be transformed by the presence of Christ in community. Looking forward to seeing you!

Blessings,

Manda

Scripture for Sunday:

Ephesians 2:13-22